Apparatus for stopping a travelling wave loom upon its weft thread carriers having encountered an obstacle in the shed

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for stopping a travelling-wave loom when its weft thread carriers encounter an obstacle in the shed, includes a drive and a control circuit of the drive, a weft thread carrier guideway, and a lining made of a conductive pile material. The guideway arranged in the shed is connected to one of the poles of the control circuit power supply, the opposite pole of the power supply being connected to the lining made of the conductive pile material. This lining being located outside the shed, the piles thereof pass between the warp threads and are permanently electrically connected to the electric contacts of the carriers. The electric contacts are pivotally mounted within the carrier and, as the latter engages an obstacle in the shed, they protrude therefrom to come in contact with the guideway to thus close the electric control circuit and bring the loom to a stop.

United States Patent [191 Bulantsev et al.

[ Dec.2, 1975 APPARATUS FOR STOPPING A TRAVELLING WAVE LOOM UPON ITS WEFT THREAD CARRIERS I-IAVING ENCOUNTERED AN OBSTACLE IN THE- SHED 221 Filed: Oct. 22, 1974 211 Appl. No.: 517,009

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 23, 1973 U.S.S.R 1966187 [52 US. Cl.... 139/12; 139/336 [51] Int. Cl. D03D 47/24; DO3D 51/18 [58] Field of Search 139/12, 13, 336, 337, 370,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,683,969 8/1972 Strauss 139/12 Primary Examiner-Henry S. Jaudon Attorney, Agent, or FirmLilling & Siege] [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for stopping a travelling-wave loom when its weft thread carriers encounter an obstacle in the shed, includes a drive and a control circuit of the drive, a weft thread carrier guideway, and a lining made of a conductive pile material. The guideway arranged in the shed is connected to one of the poles of the control circuit power supply, the opposite pole of the power supply being connected to the lining made of the conductive pile material. This lining being located outside the shed, the piles thereof pass between the warp threads and are permanently electrically connected to the electric contacts of the carriers. The electric contacts are pivotally mounted within the carrier and, as the latter engages an obstacle in the shed, they protrude therefrom to come in contact with the guideway to thus close the electric control circuit and bring the loom to a stop.

6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures iii 3g 76' i i a 5,

il Z o 29 t l a 35 e 32 a US. Patent Dec. 2, 1975 Shee t2 of 4 I 3,923,083 M Sheet 3 of 4 US. Patent Dec. 2, 1975 US. Patent Dec. 2, 1975 Sheet4 of4 3,923,083

"1 1%,, \LLIIIHIIIllIHIHlHlIllVllllllLH IHIIIIIIIIIIIHIW I I 79 5 Z4 5 APPARATUS FOR STOPPING A TRAVELLING WAVE LOOM UPON ITS WEFT THREAD CARRIERS HAVING ENCOUNTERED AN OBSTACLE IN THE SHED BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to travelling-wave looms, and, more particularly, it relates to an apparatus for stopping these looms when the weft thread carriers encounter an obstacle in the shed.

At present, there is known an apparatus for stopping a travelling-wave loom when its weft thread carriers encounter an obstacle in the shed.-

This apparatus includes a drive, the electric control circuit thereof being connected to a weft thread carrier guideway arranged in the shed. This guideway is made up of a plurality of individual plates spaced apart to accommodate the warp threads therebetween. The plates embrace the carriers from above and from one of the side walls, at least every other plate being connected to opposite poles of the power supply of the drive control circuit.

Each weft thread carrier is provided with movable electric contacts protruding from the carrier upon the latter having encountered an obstacle in the shed, to engage the plates and thereby to close the control circuit. Upon closing of the control circuit the loom drive is disengaged. However, in this apparatus, at least every second plate should be insulated for the electric circuit to be maintained broken. Since the individual plates in addition to their function of guiding the carriers in the shed have the function of distributing uniformly the warp threads over the loom weaving width, the number of plates to be insulated or connected to the control circuit is fairly great.

There is also known an apparatus for stopping a loom, in which apparatus one pole of the drive control circuit power supply is connected to a weft thread carrier guideway, whereas the opposite pole thereof is connected to a toothed rack. The number of teeth in the rack is small and they pass between the warp threads inside the shed to come into direct contact with the weft thread carrier. Each weft thread carrier is provided with a feeler, which is electrically connected via the carrier to the toothed rack, and a contact member insulated from the carrier and electrically connected via a slider to the guideway.

The weft thread carriers, while moving in the shed, are in permanent contact with the toothed rack, the slider being in contact with the guideway. As an obstacle is being encountered in the shed, the feeler turns and touches the contact incorporated in the carrier next to the feeler, thereby closing the drive control circuit as a result of which the loom comes to a stop.

In this known apparatus, the rack teeth, while passing between the warp threads, cause wear-out thereof and, besides, the warp threads are liable to get onto the rack teeth at a successive shedding motion which may result in abruption of the thread during movement of the carrier. It can be seen that the known apparatus of the lastdescribed type is of a relatively complicated structure, since it is necessary to insulate the feeler and the contact received within the weft thread from each other and, besides, it calls for installation of the contact and the slider which is in contact with the guideways.

Another disadvantage of the known apparatus is its unstable and short service life due to the wear of the rack teeth caused by friction against the carrier. The number of rack teeth adapted to cooperate with the carrier being scarce, they wear out .prematurely thereby disturbing the flow of current from the teeth to the carrier.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for stopping a travelling-wave loom when its weft thread carriers encounter an obstacle in the shed, in which apparatus the means for connection of the loom drive electric control circuit will ensure permanent and reliable contact with the weft thread carrier and will not adversely affect the warp threads during weaving.

This object is attained in an apparatus for stopping a travelling-wave loom when its weft thread carriers encounter an obstacle in the shed, comprising a loom drive including an electric control circuit, one pole of a control circuit power supply being connected to a guideway arranged in the shed and associated with the weft thread carriers provided with movable electric contacts protruding from the carrier upon the latter having encounterd an obstacle in the shed, whereby the electric circuit is closed, in which apparatus, in accordance with the present invention, outside the shed, extending the entire length of the guideway is a lining made of a conductive pile material, connected to the opposite pole of the electric control circuit power supply and disposed so that its piles pass between the warp threads inside the shed and are in permanent electric connection with the electric contacts of the weft thread carriers during their movement in the shed, whereby upon the carrier having encountered an obstacle in the shed its contacts, while contacting the guideway, close the electric control circuit to bring the loom to a stop.

Employment of the lining made of a conductive pile material makes it possible to establish permanent and reliable electric connection with the electric contacts of the weft thread carriers during their movement in the shed which is obtained due to a large number, as compared with the prior art, of the piles interacting with the carrier. Therefore, wear-out of a part of the piles does not affect the reliability of operation of the apparatus disclosed herein. In addition, due to employment of soft pile for maintaining electric connection between the lining disposed outside the shed and the electric contacts arranged therewithin the adverse effect upon the warp threads is positively prevented and the electric connection between the lining and the drive control circuit is considerably simplified. This, in turn, makes it possible to simplify the design of the weft thread carriers due to elimination of the contact accommodated therein, adapted to cooperate with the feeler upon the carrier having encountered an obstacle in the shed and insulated from the carrier, as well as to provide for an apparatus simpler in design and yet reliable in operation.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, used as the conductive pile material for the lining is a metallized cloth possessing higher wear resistance as compared to any other pile material.

According to another embodiment of the invention, for establishing electric connection between the piles and the contacts of the carriers, incorporated therein is a currentconducting plate contacting the piles and electrically connected to the contacts. This plate provides for reliable connection since a plurality of metallized piles cooperate therewith at a time.

According to still another embodiment of the invention, the lining is arranged under the weft thread carriers and between the warp threads and the means for propelling the weft thread carriers in the shed. In this case, the lining made of the conductive pile material and disposed between the warp threads and the means for propelling the carrier also serves the purpose of a protective cloth preventing the warp threads from friction against said propelling means.

According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the lining is secured on a portion of said guideway overlapping the weft thread carriers exteriorly, this portion being insulated from the rest of the guideway. In this way, all additional means for securing this plate outside the shed becomes redundant, and consequently, the structure of the apparatus for stopping the loom becomes simpler.

It can be seen that the herein disclosed apparatus is of a simple structure, ensures dependable operation and stopping of the loom upon the carrier having encountered an obstacle in the shed, reduces warp thread breakages, enhances the quality of the fabric produced and steps up the loom productivity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Given below is a detailed description of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an electric circuit for use with an apparatus for stopping a loom when its weft thread carriers encounter an obstacle in the shed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic end elevational view partially in cross-section of an apparatus for stopping a loom, according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, but showing another embodiment thereof;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view partially in crosssection of still another embodiment of the apparatus;

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged section of the arrangement shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view, partially in cross-section, of the apparatus of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view, partially in cross-section, of the apparatus of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings, the apparatus for stopping a loom when its weft thread carriers encounter an obstacle in the shed includes a drive, for example, an electric motor 1 (FIG. 1) with an electric control circuit 2. The control circuit 2 includes a means for moving the weft thread carriers in the shed of the loom when the normally open contacts 3 of the electric circuit 2 are open or in a break condition during the normal operation of the loom. At the moment When the carrier encounters an obstacle in the shed, the contacts 3 of the circuit 2 close or change to a make condition and the loom stops.

The loom drive 1 transmits motion to the main loom mechanisms, for example, a means 4 (FIG. 2) for propelling weft thread carriers 5, a beat-up motion, a device for winding the weft thread onto the spool of the weft thread carrier, a shedding motion, a selvageforming mechanism, a warp threads feeding motion and a cloth take-up mechanism (these elements, with the exception of the weft thread carriers 5, are not shown in the drawing for the sake of clarity).

The means for propelling the weft thread carriers is made in the form of a guideway 6 which runs in a shed 7 across the entire weaving width of the loom and which may be of any known structure, for example, it may be made up of individual L-shaped plates mounted on common bars 8 and 9 and spaced one from another to accommodate therebetween warp threads 10 forming the shed 7 along which the weft thread carrier 5 travels.

The plates 6 embrace the carrier 5 from above and from one side wall as is shown in FIG. 2, while from below the carrier is supported by the means 4 propelling the carrier along the guideway 6, i.e., by a link-androller conveyor.

However, the guideway 6 may be composed of two separate or electrically insulated portions 11 and 12 (FIG. 3), the portion 11 being made as a solid plate extending the entire weaving width of the loom, overlying the warp threads and encircling the carriers from above.

The portion 12 comprising a plurality of individual strips spaced so as to accommodate the warp threads 10 therebetween, embraces the carrier from one of its side walls.

The link-and-roller chain conveyor moves within the guideway 13 and its links carry a roller 14 which, while the carriers 5 travel along the shed 7, enters a recess 15 (FIG. 4) provided in the carriers 5.

The guideway 6 or the guideway portion 11 is electrically connected to one of the poles of a power supply 16 (FIG. 1) of the electric control circuit 2 of the loom drive. Outside the shed 7 (FIG. 2), there is disposed a lining 17 made of a conductive pile material, e.g. a metallized cloth, which extends the entire length of the guideway 6. The lining 17 is connected to the opposite pole of the control circuit power supply 16 (FIG. 1). The lining 17 (FIG. 5) is located outside the shed so that its piles 18 pass between the warp threads 10 therewithin, whereby the contact with the weft thread carriers is established.

The lining 17 may have a suitable form and be located either above the shed or below it. Thus, FIG. 3 illustrates the lining 17 overlying the shed 7, which is attached to the portion 11 of the guideway and the width and length of which correspond to those of the portion 11. Shown in FIG. 2 is the lining 17 which is located above the shed 7 parallel to and separate from the guideway 6. In this case, the lining 17 is secured to the loom framing by any suitable means. FIGS. 4 and 5 depict the lining 17 located below the shed 7, i.e., below the carriers 5, between warp threads 10 and the means 4 for propelling the carriers 5. In this case, the lining serves the purpose of a protective cloth preventing wear-out of the warp threads caused by friction against the means for propelling the carriers.

For closing the electric circuit each weft thread carrier 5 (FIGS. 6 and 7) is provided with movable electric contacts 19 that are received within the weft thread carrier 5 and protrude therefrom the moment the carrier engages an obstacle in the shed, whereby the contacts engage the plates of the guideway 6 (FIG. 2) or the portion 12 (FIG. 3) thereof. The electric contacts 19 are mounted on a lever 21 pivotably mounted about an axle or pin (FIG. 6). One end of the lever 21 is made thicker than the other, the thickness of the lever increasing from the axle 20 towards its end 22. Grooves 23 and 24 provided in the carrier 5 are adapted to receive the lever 21 and the electric contacts 19, respectively. The lever 21 is loaded by a coiled spring 25 so that during the normal operation of the loom the lever 21, being acted upon by the spring 25, protrudes from the groove 23 to be engaged by an obstacle in the shed, for example, by entangled warp threads, whereas the electric contacts 19 are sunk within the groove 24.

To preclude eventual stopping of the loom due to shorting in the electric circuit the weft thread carriers 5 are made from an insulating material, therefore each carrier incorporates a current-conducting plate 26 therewithin which is in permanent electric contact with the piles 18 of the lining 17 and is electrically connected to the contacts 19 by any suitable electrically conductive means 26a thereby establishing permanent electric connection between the contacts 19 and the piles 18.

In case the lining l7 overlies the shed 7, the currentconducting plate 26 is arranged on the top of the carrier 5 in its central portion (FIG. 3) or at some distance therefrom, as is shown in FIG. 2. If the lining 17 (FIGS. 4 and 5) underlies the shed 7, used as the currentconducting plate is a metal insert 27 mounted in the recess 15 of the weft thread carrier and adapted to cooperate with the roller 14 of the chain conveyer when the latter travels in the shed.

The lining 17 and the guideway 6 inserted into the drive control circuit 2 (FIG. 1) form the normally open contacts 3 (process contacts).

The control circuit of the drive of the loom is a generally known electric circuit switching on and off the drive, i.e., starting and stopping the loom. The electric motor 1 is connected to three-phase AC mains, B, C, D. Parallel-connected to two phases C and D of the mains are a circuit 28 for deenergizing the drive and a step-down transformer 16a which serves as the power supply 16 for the circuit 2.

The circuit 2 includes the series-connected normally open contacts 3 and a relay 29 whose normally open contacts 30 are connected, together with a toggle switch 31, in parallel with the contacts 3.

Connected in parallel with the contacts 3 and the relay 29 are series-connected normally open contacts 32 of the relay 29 and a pilot lamp 33.

The circuit 28 for switching off the drive comprises series-connected normally closed contacts 34 of the STOP push-button, normally open contacts 35 of the START pushbutton, normally closed contacts 36 of the relay 29 and a relay 37 for deenergizing the drive. Connected in parallel with the contacts 35 of the START push-button are normally open inter-locking contacts 38 of the relay 37.

The electric motor 1 is connected to the three-phase mains B, C, D via normally open contacts 39 to the relay 37.

The step-down transformer supplies the circuit 2 and, consequently, the lining 17 and the guideway 6 or the guideway portion 12 with a voltage of about 12 V, which is harmless to man.

With the START push-button depressed, the contacts 35 make, and a current starts flowing through the deenergizing circuit 28, the relay 37 operates whereby the interlocking contacts 38 make, same as the contacts 39 in the B, C, D mains. When the contacts 35 of the START push-button re-open, the current continues flowing through the circuit 28, and the motor 1 transmits motion to all the mechanisms of the loom. Consequently, the means 4 (FIG. 2) acts upon the bottom portion of the weft thread carrier 5 propelling the latter along the guideway 6 located in the shed 7. When encountering an obstacle in the shed 7, the carrier tries to spread the warp threads 10 apart and thus to unblock the passage. If this fails, the obstacle is engaged by the lever 21 (FIGS. 6 and 7) of the carrier, whereby the lever compresses the spring 25 and is pivoted about an axle 20 so that the contacts 19 come out of the groove 24, the contacts engaging the plates of the guideway 6, or the guideway portion 12, thus closing the circuit, i.e., closing the contacts 3 (FIG. 1) in the circuit 2. The current now flows through the circuit 2 which results in the relay 29 closing its interlocking contacts 30 and 32 and breaking the contacts 36 in the circuit 28 deenergizing the drive.

Therewith, the pilot lamp 33 in the control circuit 2 goes on. As the contacts 36 open, the deenergizing circuit 28 is broken, and the contacts 39 in the B, C, D mains open, the motor being deenergized, whereby all the mechanisms of the loom are stopped.

After the obstacle in the shed 7 has been removed, the spring 25 (FIG. 6) acting upon the end 22 of the lever 21 turns the lever 21 together with the contacts 19, whereby the latter are disengaged from the plates of the guideway 6 or the guideway portion 12 and sink again in the groove 24, and the thicker end 22 of lever 21 protrudes therefrom again.

The toggle switch 31 is operated to break the circuit of the interlocking contact 30 in the deenergizing control circuit 28. Thus, the circuit 2 is deenergized, and all the contacts 30, 32, 36 of the relay 29 return to their initial position. Now the drive of the loom may be energized again by depressing the START push-button.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for stopping a travelling-wave loom when its weft thread carriers encounter an obstacle in the shed, comprising: a loom drive; an electric control circuit of said drive, provided with a power supply; a guideway for guiding and orienting the weft thread carriers in the shed, located in said shed and electrically connected to one of the poles of the power supply of said control circuit; movable contacts mounted in the weft thread carriers and protruding therefrom when these carriers encounter an obstacle in the shed to come in electrical contact with said guideway; a lining made of a conductive pile material arranged outside the shed along said guideway so that its piles pass between the warp threads inside the shed, said lining being connected to the opposite pole of the power supply of said control circuit and to the carriers moving in the shed, the piles of the lining being in permanent electric connection with the contacts of the carriers, as a result of which the very moment the carrier engages an obstacle in the shed, its contacts, while touching the guideway, cause the control circuit for the loom to be stopped.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said conductive pile material for the lining is a metallized cloth.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for propelling the weft thread carriers in the shed, and wherein the said lining is disposed under the weft thread carriers between the warp threads and said means for propelling the weft thread carriers.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lining is attached on a portion of said guideway encircling the weft thread carriers from above, this portion of the guideway being electrically insulated from the rest of the guideway.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the weft thread carriers are made of electrically insulating material, and further comprising an electrically conductive plate mounted on the weft thread carriers and electrically connected to said movable contacts, said conductive plates being disposed on the weft thread carriers proximate to said piles of said lining to be in contact therewith, whereby electrical continuity is established between said piles and said movable contacts.

6. An apparatus for stopping weft thread carriers of a travelling-wave loom upon having encountered an obstacle in the shed, comprising electrically motivated drive means for driving the loom; electrical circuit control means, including a pair of electrical contacts, for energizing said drive means when said pair of contacts are in a make" condition and for deenergizing said drive means when said pair of contacts are in a break condition; electrically conductive guideway means for guiding and orienting the weft thread carriers in the shed and electrically connected to one of said contacts; movable contacts movably mounted in the weft thread carriers and protruding therefrom only when the carriers encounter an obstacle in the shed; a lining made of a conductive pile material arranged outside the shed along said guideway so that its piles pass between the warp threads proximate to the weft thread carriers, said lining being connected to the other of said pair of contacts, electrically conductive means for contacting said lining piles and providing electrical continuity between said lining and said movable contacts independently of the positions of the carriers along said guideway means, whereby engagement of an obstacle by the carrier in the shed causes said movable contacts to touch said guideway means to provide a make condition of said pair of contacts and said electrical control means deenergizes said drive means to stop the loom. 

1. An apparatus for stopping a travelling-wave loom when its weft thread carriers encounter an obstacle in the shed, comprising: a loom drive; an electric control circuit of said drive, provided with a power supply; a guideway for guiding and orienting the weft thread carriers in the shed, located in said shed and electrically connected to one of the poles of the power supply of said control circuit; movable contacts mounted in the weft thread carriers and protruding therefrom when these carriers encounter an obstacle in the shed to come in electrical contact with said guideway; a lining made of a conductive pile material arranged outside the shed along said guideway so that its piles pass between the warp threads inside the shed, said lining being connected to the opposite pole of the power supply of said control circuit and to the carriers moving in the shed, the piles of the lining being in permanent electric connection with the contacts of the carriers, as a result of which the very moment the carrier engages an obstacle in the shed, its contacts, while touching the guideway, cause the control circuit for the loom to be stopped.
 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said conductive pile material for the lining is a metallized cloth.
 3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for propelling the weft thread carriers in the shed, and wherein the said lining is disposed under the weft thread carriers between the warp threads and said means for propelling the weft thread carriers.
 4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lining is attached on a portion of said guideway encircling the weft thread carriers from above, this portion of the guideway being electrically insulated from the rest of the guideway.
 5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the weft thread carriers are made of electrically insulating material, and further comprising an electrically conductive plate mounted on the weft thread carriers and electrically connected to said movable contacts, said conductive plates being disposed on the weft thread carriers proximate to said piles of said lining to be in contact therewith, whereby electrical continuity is established between said piles and said movable contacts.
 6. An apparatus for stopping weft thread carriers of a travelling-wave loom upon having encountered an obstacle in the shed, comprising electrically motivated drive means for driving the loom; electrical circuit control means, including a pair of electrical contacts, for energizing said drive means when said pair of contacts are in a ''''make'''' condition and for deenergizing said drive means when said pair of contacts are in a ''''break'''' condition; electrically conductive guideway means for guiding and orienting the weft thread carriers in the shed and electrically connected to one of said contacts; movable contacts movably mounted in the weft thread carriers and protruding therefrom only when the carriers encounter an obstacle in the shed; a lining made of a conductive pile material arranged outside the shed along said guideway so that its piles pass between the warp threads proximate to the weft thread carriers, said lining being connected to the other of said pair of contacts, electrically conductive means for contacting said lining piles and providing electrical continuity between said lining and said movable contacts independently of the positions of the carriers along said guideway means, whereby engagement of an obstacle by the carrier in the shed causes said movable contacts to touch said guideway means to provide a ''''make'''' condition of said pair of contacts and said electrical control means deenergizes said drive means to stop the loom. 